My life in the center of the world -- musings on my family, community (local, global, physical and virtual), people and more. Oh and of course, a few words on tech related start-ups, within the context of living in the ulimate start-up with humble goal of repairing the world. Venture backed by over 3,000 years of history, thought, culture, and angst.
By Jacob Ner-David

February 05, 2008

I got to know will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas a little when we produced Jerusalem ROCKS! 2007 (see here for a taste of that event), which BEP headlined. I was already a fan of will.i.am and BEP, which is why we invited them--they are a unique combination of ideology, talent, and fun. Those are the ingredients I look for in all my activities, non-profit and not-only-for profit.

A few days ago a song and accompanying video were released, as an overt promotion of Obama for President, but also a celebration of the potential for good in the world. A belief in the power to repair the world, otherwise known as "tikkun olam." Below please find the music video of "Yes We Can" (can also click here if your feed doesn't support embedded video).

Beyond the song and the video, there is also an explanation [below] by will.i.am of the inspiration and the process of creating "Yes We Can," which I found timeless and oh so timely. Ten years ago it would have taken months to pull off what will.i.am and friends did in a matter of days. The web circa 2008 is definitely a platform for incredible good in the world. Here is excerpt of what will.i.am had to say about the process, with some emphasis added:

I wasn't afraid to stand for something...to stand for "change"...I wasn't afraid of "fear"...it was pure inspiration...

so I called my friends...and they called their friends...in a matter of 2 days...We made the song and video...

Usually this process would take months...a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...interviews...all that stuff...but this time i took it in my own hands...so i called my friends sarah pantera, mike jurkovac, fred goldring, and jesse dylan to help make it happen...and they called their friends..and we did it together in 48 hours...and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...

then we put it on the net for the world to feel...

When you are truly inspired..magic happens...incredible things happen...love happens..(and with that combination)

September 25, 2007

OK, so between Jerusalem ROCKS , my day job as Managing Partner of Jerusalem Capital and my all consuming life as husband of Haviva Ner-David, and father to Michal, Adin, Meira, Hallel and Nachum, I have not found time to blog. Not that I have a lack of things to write about, living in the very earthly Jerusalem, operating at the edges of the virtual world, and involved in intense debates about the future of life as we know it.

Just that found myself recently barely treading water, and at times drowning, needing to cut out what I deemed, on the fly, to be lowest priority.

Now with the move into a new year, I have a fresh resolve to organize and prioritize my time (and life) in a more strategic way--and will attempt to keep blog current at least on a weekly basis. If I don't -- please say something.

As I say to all those who work with me, I believe in interactive management. Which means on some level we all need to manage each other.

September 10, 2007

We are still gathering all the video and editing, but here is final minutes of Jerusalem ROCKS!...watch for the "horn" welcoming in the Jewish New Year. Thanks again to my partners Jeff Pulver and Carmi Wurtman, and of course to Jerusalem Foundation, Ruach Hadasha/Nir Barkat, FJC, and many more. Rock on.

September 06, 2007

Well, with a lot of bumps (and humps, Ms. Fergie ) along the way, the impossible is happening this Sunday, September 9, at 4 PM when we open the doors for Jerusalem ROCKS! at Sultan's Pool just outside Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem (NOTE THE VENUE CHANGE).

When I walked into the studios of Israel Broadcasting "Channel One" studio, the producer told me how miraculous it is that we have pulled together such an incredible show to start of the Jewish New Year, and to show that Jerusalem is alive and well. He told me that his brother arrived today from Manhattan, and the first thing he asked was if they had tickets to Jerusalem ROCKS!.

It got me thinking about miracles, which of course brings me to the clip below from Arrested Development . I couldn't say it better than Speech. I believe in miracles. See you Sunday at Sultan's Pool.

July 19, 2007

Yeah, yeah, I know, I have been slipping again at the blog thing--but I have wonderful excuses.

First of all, between five children, 4 portfolio companies (yup, we've been busy at Jerusalem Capital!), who has time for blogging, especially when I am on "vacation" (anyway in the parenting or start-up world knows there is no real vacation...). But so much is actually going on in my life and my world.

We have been in Aspen the past few weeks, far physically from our home in Jerusalem but not emotionally. Every day we are asked, so where are you from, and when we answer Jerusalem, always the eyes widen, the interest level goes up.

Sitting in the Music Tent yesterday, listening to a showcase from the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, I thought how global our lives are...in the span of two hours we heard music from Dvorak, Bach, Handel, Tchaikovsky, Weber, Strauss, and Copeland, composers from so many different countries, being played by the Aspen Symphony Orchestra, made up of top musicians from dozens of countries.

Reminded me how small the world is, and how music can bring it all together.

Which brings me to Jerusalem ROCKS!, a huge project I have been blessed to be a partner in the creation of, together with my good friends and soul mates Jeff Pulver and Carmi Wurtman. To join the buzz appropriately, according to Jeff, need to be part of the Facebook group, which you can join by going here. Of course you need to be a Facebook user, but I assume if you are alive and reading this you already are...(the new neurosis...not having enough "friends" on Facebook...).

I will be writing more about Jerusalem ROCKS! in the weeks to come, but simply put, it is using music to remind us all that Jerusalem is alive and well as a symbol of peace, pluralism and diversity in this crazy world we live in.

It all culminates September 9, 2007, for the first of what we hope to be an annual event, designed to keep Jerusalem of today in all of our hearts and souls, no matter if we are in Aspen, New York, Paris, London, or Chicago (no reason for those places, just what came to mind!).